(NBC BAY AREA) -- Former Atlanta Falcon and Oakland Raider Thomas Howard was one of two people who died Monday morning in a crash in Oakland, CSN Bay Area has confirmed.

A BMW, which is believed to be Howard's, was driving at speeds of up to 100 mph, rear-ended a semi-truck along Interstate Highway 880 and flipped over the truck and the center divide crashing into an oncoming Honda, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Howard was drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft and spent four seasons with the team. After being waived by Oakland in 2010, he spent the next two seasons with Cincinnati.

He signed with Atlanta in October, but was released on Nov. 13.

An officer told NBC Bay Area that the drivers died after the 1 a.m. accident on 880 at 5th Avenue. The other victim was a 65-year-old man from Hayward, according to the CHP.

The officer said he isn't sure why the BMW was traveling so fast in the northbound lanes. But the accident was horrific, leaving all the vehicles involved nearly unrecognizable.